From www.arkcity.net:

Discovery Channel filming of Sanderholm case under way

By FOSS FARRAR Staff Writer

Published: Monday, August 17, 2009 1:43 PM CDT

Jodi Sanderholm’s mother got a little choked up Sunday talking on camera about her 19-year-old daughter, who was murdered two years ago. She and two other Sanderholm family members were interviewed by a producer for the Investigation Discovery Channel, which is doing a documentary on the murder.

“I held it together pretty well,” said Cindy Sanderholm, Jodi’s mother. Sanderholm said the family at first was concerned that the documentary might focus on the murder for entertainment purposes.

But producer Jessica Grumet assured them the show would focus on how small community law enforcement solved the murder with a little bit of forensic evidence. A piece of the murderer’s hair was found in the victim’s car.

In March, a judge sentenced Justin Thurber to death for the killing of Sanderholm a little more than two years before. The 19-year old Cowley College student’s body was found on Jan. 9, 2007, four days after she went missing.

Grumet conducted interviews with Cindy, her husband Brian and her daughter Jennifer on Sunday, Cindy Sanderholm said. “They are sweet people, very calm and understanding,” Cindy Sanderholm said. Among the people Grumet planned to interview are KBI agent David Falletti, Arkansas City Police Chief Sean Wallace, other members of the Ark City Police Department, EquuSearch team member Tim Miller and trackers Ron and Jon Cannon. Grumet told the Sanderholms that her crew plans to complete filming on Wednesday, after spending about a week in Ark City.

The Jodi Sanderholm story is expected to air on “Extreme Forensics,” a show focusing on criminal investigations, on the Investigation Discovery Channel next year. The new season for the series begins in February 2010, Sanderholm said.

From www.kwch.com

Featured Video Girls Learn Self-Defense in Jodi Sanderholm’s Hometown

Justin Thurber - Photo courtesy of Ark City Traveler

Yesterday a judge officially told Jodi’s killer that he was sentenced to be executed by the State of Kansas.  After attempts to further delay the sentence failed Thurber was officially sentenced.

The day began with the defense attorneys requesting a new trial based on their claim that Thurber’s “prior bad acts” should not have been admitted as evidence.  This was denied.

Thurber’s attorneys then tried to have him legally declared mentally retarded thereby making him ineligible for the death penalty.  After the prosecution presented the evidence that Thurber himself held a C-average, worked to destroyed evidence and submitted a report from the Larned State Mental Hospital doctor stating that Thurber was not mentally retarded that claim failed as well. 

Additionally, the defense team claimed to not receive some pre-trial documents regarding Thurber’s past criminal history.  Court was recessed for a short-time while this was investigated and the defense was given the option to review the documents.

So on the first day of Spring.   A day of new beginnings.  Justin Thurber who so brutally murdered Jodi Sanderholm was taken to El Dorado to the prison. 

It is reported that upon entering the facility Jodi’s killer appearred very nervous.  It is also reported that he received a welcome chant from all the other prisoners.  Their chant was “Dead man walking. Justin Thurber.  Dead man walking. Justin Thurber….”

He will never again by able to hurt someone like Jodi. 

He will undoubtedly have several years to think about his actions on January 5, 2007 before the state of Kansas executes him.

From: http://www.ksn.com/news/local/41408702.html

ARKANSAS CITY, Kansas – KSN has confirmed that Justin Thurber’s defense attorney has filed a motion for a new trial.

Thurber was convicted last month in the capital murder of 19-year-old Jodi Sanderholm.

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_re_us/textual_harassment

Stalkers turn to cell phones to ‘textually harass’

AFP/File – A woman sends an SMS text message in Sydney. The bishop of Modena in northern Italy has told Catholic …

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The college student had endured months of online and cell phone harassment from her ex-boyfriend. She ignored the barrage of e-mails, changed her phone number and dismantled online profiles to cut him off.

Then one evening, her cell phone signaled a new text message. It was him again.

“You should keep to yourself and stay away from other people,” the message said, according to the student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. Her ex had found her photo online and attached it.

As text messaging has boomed in recent years, it has also given rise to so-called “textual harassment.” Text messages antagonize recipients in a way that is not easily ignored: Most people are never far from their cell phones, and the gadgets tend to blink and chirp until unopened messages are acknowledged. Adding another sting, the victims are often charged by their cell phone companies for receiving the messages.

A study of stalking by the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics released last month confirmed that stalking by texting has become a pervasive problem.

The report found 23 percent of stalking or harassment victims reported in 2006 that the stalker had used some form of cyberstalking, such as cell phone texting or e-mail, to harass them. It was the agency’s first measure of the emerging practice, said Katrina Baum, one of the study’s authors.

“Technology has become a quick and easy way for stalkers to monitor and harass their victims,” the report said.

And unless calling plans include unlimited texting, recipients are charged an average of 20 cents for each message sent or received, wanted or not.

“I was paying to be harassed, which is a lot of fun,” the victimized college student said.

Providers including Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint say they are willing to work with customers who are charged for unwanted messages.

Verizon Wireless handled 90 billion text messages in the last quarter of 2008 alone, more than double the number during the same period a year earlier. AT&T customers sent nearly 80 billion texts in the quarter. Sprint customers sent 41 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2008.

Having a device deliver a message tends to embolden people and provides a sense of anonymity, even when the messages can be tracked to a sender, said Jayne Hitchcock, president of the volunteer organization WHOA, Working to Halt Online Abuse.

“They would never do this to someone in person,” Hitchcock said, “yet they use the faceless avenue of cell phones, their computers or home/office phones to perpetrate the harassment.”

States have scrambled to react to the new threat. Forty-six states now have anti-stalking laws that refer to electronic forms of communication, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Only four states — Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington — explicitly name text messaging, but laws that are less specific may also be applied to text harassment.

Last year in New York’s Kings County Court, a defendant was accused of sending six threatening text messages to a woman during a 17-hour period. The messages said the defendant was outside the woman’s house and that she would end up in the hospital.

The defendant tried to get aggravated harassment charges thrown out by arguing that text messages were not as serious as phone calls or letters and were not covered by state law, but the court disagreed.

Technological developments “along with their many benefits, bring with them ever greater potential for abuse,” the court wrote.

The college student said she walked the rest of the way home that first night her ex texted her with the uncomfortable feeling he might be crouched in the bushes, even though she knew he lived several states away.

The texts and e-mails kept coming for more than a year and ranged from innocuous appeals for contact to disturbing insinuations of violence. The contact stopped in December, when the man messaged her that he had found someone else.

Customers who do feel threatened are advised to call law enforcers, who can then contact the provider to identify the sender.

A Web site sponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Ad Council and Office of Violence Against Women offers a textual harassment forum where teenagers trade advice and experiences with overzealous or unwanted texting.

The site, http://www.thatsnotcool.com, also has e-mailable reply “callout cards” that offer a lighter approach to resolve what could be a serious problem, with messages including “You’re much more attractive when you’re not textually harassing me,” and “Thanks for helping me exceed my text message limit.”

___

Jodi’s Law is up for the Senate vote tomorrow in New Mexico! (SB166) If you are a New Mexico resident please contact your Senator and ask them to vote YES tomorrow. You can find your Senator by visiting http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/leg.a…

It is imperative that the bill gets a “do pass” tomorrow in the Senate. It will then move on to the House committees. Without a “do pass” the bill will die….

Sorry is a word that can mean so much when it is sincere.  However, I have my doubts to the sincerity of Justin Thurber’s apology (http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=9850979) as he left the courtroom today.  Having over two years to feel regret for his actions on January 5, 2007 he waited until he was backed into a corner with no other options to express any remorse for his actions.  This leads me to believe that his sorrow is for himself and the punishment he is yet to receive rather than for his actions towards Jodi. 

Over the last two years Thurber has had many opportunities to express remorse and sorrow over the actions he chose on the day he murdered Jodi, but he chose not to do so.  Not until January 9, 2009 did he realize he had no other options in the case, but to try to secure a plea deal.  It was at this time that he signed the confession discussed in court today.  My opinion is this was only done in an effort to save his life rather than a true realization of the wrong-doing of that day.  His game of power and control is over now.  He has been found guilty of capital murder and the jury has the power to decide his fate.

The defense team made their case around Thurber’s IQ (10 points from mental retardation according to the defense) and his childhood.  At one point defense attorney Ron Evans stated, “You can take a look at Justin Thurber and see there’s something wrong with him.”  I haven’t heard anyone question the fact that something is wrong with Thurber; however, now it is up to the jury to decide if he should face lethal injection. 

The defense also placed Justin Thurber’s family on the stand.  His mother looked at the Sanderholms and stated, “I’m so, so sorry for the loss of your daughter. I can’t imagine what your daughter went through.” She went on to state that she had lost people too and understood their pain. 

There is no one that can understand the pain the Sanderholms must feel.  I mourn for Jodi as well.  I mourn and feel disgust over the fear she must have felt as she walked into the woods in the Kaw Wildlife Area.  However, to me Jodi was a friend.  To the Sanderholms she was a daughter and sister.  That pain is no doubt different. 

The pain you feel when someone you care for is murdered is different than losing someone in other ways.  You know that the person you care about was targeted.  And tortured.  And ultimately killed.  With every phase of the trial – pre-trial hearings, statements of confession, the trial and the penalty phase you go through the five stages of grief all over again.  Details you have heard before hurt as much as the first time you heard them.

I am certain the Thurber family is feeling their own pain throughout this process; however, they still have their son and brother, don’t they.  Even if sentenced to the death penalty they will still have their son and brother for years.  They would say goodbye.  Then he would not be tortured for more than five hours.  He would be given an injection that would cause him to fall to sleep.  A drastic contrast to Jodi’s more than five hours of torture.

As the penalty phase closes, I ask that everyone remember Jodi for the wonderful life she led rather than the death she suffered at Justin Thurber’s hands.

Though Many Are Stalked, Few Report It, Study Finds

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/us/15stalk.html?_r=1&partner=rss

(Jodi’s Law is mentioned in this article.)

Justin Thurber has just been found guilty of capital murder, rape, sodomy and aggravated kidnapping!!!

The penalty phase begins Monday.  I suspect the defense will take a stronger stance at this point.  Thurber chose to not have the defense bring witnesses or offer a closing statement in the trial.  The opening statement was a simple if you find him guilty we ask that you spare his life.  However, he did not spare Jodi’s life…

This is the beginning of the end of a very long road to justice!